BIOSUEFIsetup

BIOSUEFI setup is the firmware interface used to configure hardware and boot settings before an operating system loads. It spans two generations: legacy BIOS and modern UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). BIOS provides basic hardware initialization with limited services, while UEFI offers a modular environment with drivers, a graphical user interface, faster startup, and native support for large disks and Secure Boot.

Access to the setup utility is typically gained by pressing a designated key during the POST phase, such as Del, F2, F10, or Esc. Some systems also provide a recovery option to enter setup from the operating system. The setup may be text-based or graphical, with mouse support on many newer machines.

Common configuration areas include boot order, boot mode (UEFI, Legacy/CSM, or both), and the storage controller mode (AHCI or RAID). Other settings cover CPU and memory features (turbo modes, memory XMP profiles) and virtualization support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). Security options include Secure Boot, which validates bootloaders and OS integrity, and TPM (Trusted Platform Module) support for measured boot and encryption. Network boot and diagnostics tools are sometimes present as well.

UEFI firmware often adds built-in features such as a network stack, diagnostic utilities, and a graphical interface, in contrast to older text-based BIOS. It supports GPT-partitioned disks for booting on UEFI systems, while legacy BIOS commonly uses MBR. Many systems offer compatibility modes to boot legacy operating systems when required.

Firmware interfaces vary by vendor and motherboard model, with implementations from providers such as AMI, Insyde, Phoenix, and others. Changes should be made cautiously, and settings should be saved or reset to defaults if the system fails to boot after modification.